CEO financial background and internal control weaknesses
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2020
Abstract
Research question/issue: The existing literature documents that the functional expertise of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) in finance reduces poor performance risk, improves financial reporting quality, and mitigates audit risk. In this study, we examine the association between CEOs' financial background and internal control weaknesses (ICWs). Research findings/insights: Using a sample of Iranian listed companies for the period 2007–2017, we find a significant negative association between CEOs with financial expertise and ICWs. Furthermore, we show that the negative association between CEO financial expertise and ICWs is stronger if the CEO is recruited from inside the firm. Our main results are robust after controlling for the potential selection issue, random effects at the firm level, and the impact of the new Iranian internal control regulations. Moreover, our results remain unchanged after controlling for other CEO characteristics, audit committee characteristics, audit fees, and using an alternative measure of financial expertise. Theoretical/academic implications: Our study contributes to the extant literature by examining the association between CEOs' financial background and ICWs, a theme that remains largely unexplored in previous research. We also extend the literature on CEO succession origin. Practitioner/policy implications: This study has important implications for regulators regarding the improvement of financial reporting quality and the effectiveness of internal controls, especially in the emerging markets. Particularly, our findings may be of benefit to auditors when assessing the risks regarding their clients' material weaknesses, as well as to shareholders and boards of directors when hiring a new CEO. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Keywords
CEOs, corporate governance, financial expertise, internal control weakness, Iran
Divisions
Faculty_of_Business_and_Accountancy
Publication Title
Corporate Governance: An International Review
Volume
28
Issue
2
Publisher
Wiley